Detached
by Lupin3Black
Summary: Nico is being abused by his step-father Minos. Not many things in his life are good. But what happens when a certain sea-eyed eager-to-please boy bumps into him on the way to class? AU highschool Au. Major Percico! SLASH percyxnico!
1. Chapter 1

**Detached**

**Chapter one**

**A/N hey guys! I know I really shouldn't be starting a new fic...but I've done so little for this fandom and I really should do more. So I've a couple PJO fics coming soon! Look out for them!**

Nico gently lay a hand on his aching rib, holding it gingerly as he rose from the pile of blankets on the floor where he slept. His hair was growing too long again, hanging in his eyes getting in the way except for the places where he'd shaved to just below his ears, he didn't know why. Just a burst of rebellion, he supposed.

His resolve to stand quickly died when he did eventually make it to his feet. It was as if all the injuries had decided to head for his toes. He groaned silently, his back arching with the pain. He trailed himself to the bathroom cabinet and gulped down two painkillers like they were lifelines. Which, he supposed, were fitting names for them as he did rely on them greatly. The medicine did its job and soon Nico was able to peel himself from the toilet lid and walk to his bedroom with only a small twinge in his ribs.

He glanced at the clock which read 8:40, as if the gods were against him, it meant he had 20 minutes to get to school before classes started and he'd yet to dress. Nico squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the urge just to curl up under the moth-eaten blankets and let darkness take over again, but he knew that his excuse of a father wouldn't appreciate it so, he forced himself to pull on a long-sleeved black t-shirt and a pair of black jeans with a slash in the knees were Minos had come a him with a kitchen knife. Jamming his feet into the beaten converse, Nico pushed the memory to the back of his mind. 'No,' he thought somewhat bitterly, 'Time for happy memories later, your late as it is.'

Nico clenched his jaw when he picked up his backpack on the way out the rickety, peeling, door. He'd momentarily forgotten about his injury and the added weight of his school books had just reminded him of them. He mumbled a curse, not loud enough for Minos to hear him, and stumbled out the door and towards school.

It happened every morning.

(Pagebreak)

"Perseus Jackson! If I have to call you one more time, then I'll take away your car!" Although he knew his mothers threat hung empty, he still jerked up, and with the sudden movement successfully managed to get tangled in his sheets and land in a thump on the floor.

Ouch.

"I'm up!" He croaked, he could hear his mother chuckling in the kitchen and pouted. Obviously she knew what the ominous thump had been. Percy pulled himself to his feet, murmuring something about being late and detention slips. Hopping into his jeans while also reaching one handed for the blue-shirt on the ground, Percy read the clock and yelped when he read "8;42. He'd less time than he thought and hurried into his clothes, barely stopping to tie his trainers.

He hurtled down the stairs and dashed into the kitchen, grabbing his sweatshirt and snagging a bit of toast with blueberry jam slathered over it.

"Percy! Your book bag!" His mother called as he rushed out the back door. The toast somewhat muffled his swears as he raced back into the kitchen and grabbed the bag from the counter but it didn't stop his mother giving him a reprimanding glance.

He grinned apologetically and swallowed the toast, he chastely kissed her cheek before sprinting back out the door. Single handedly grabbing his car keys from the table and yelling "Love you!" Over his shoulder.

Dark clouds were gathering over head and he managed to jump into his car just before the downpour happened.

Percy grinned as he turned the window wipers on. This happened every morning. Well, the rain was new.

(Pagebreak)

Nico dashed through the corridors, as the bell rang,dripping rain where ever he went and clutching his books to his chest as if the pressure would stop the pain building in his chest. He wasn't exactly sure how he would explain the visible bruises, like the one on his eye, but he knew it was an unlikely thought for someone to even ask about them, never mind care about an answer.

The rain hadn't made his impending day any better, but Nico had a mostly clean and dry hoodie in his locker with his name on it. He wouldn't have too drenched if some idiot hadn't swerved straight into the puddle he was walking past and drenched him from head to toe in rainwater.

His mixture of rushing through the corridors and brooding made him not completely look where he was going so when he crashed into someone he knew immediately it was his fault. That person had managed in the collision, to send their file straight into his fractured rib.

Definitely not his day.

He groaned and slipped down attempting to catch his books and pick up the flying papers. "I'm so sorry, mate!" Rang in his ears, he clutched at his ribcage and hunched over, waiting for the blackness to leave his vision. "Jesus! Are you okay?"

Nico squinted through his half-darkened vision and could just about make out sea-green eyes and a dark thatch of hair. "I'm fine." He gritted out, clenching his sodden t-shirt with one hand and reaching out for his books with the other. The pain was subsiding now, which Nico was grateful for, leaving behind just the same twinge.

"No dude! Seriously! I'm really sorry! It's my fault!" The green-eyed boy was crouched beside him, picking up his things and collecting them all in one neat bundle.

"It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going." The younger teen glared up at him, "Let's leave it at that."

Percy gathered up the rest of the strange boys things and handed them to him, receiving a muttered 'thanks' in response. "I'm still really sorry though! Are you okay?" The paler teen struggled to his feet and Percy resisted the urge to help him up, he figured that it wouldn't go down to well.

As Nico stood, tears of frustration gathered in his eyes and he fought them as hard as he could. He hadn't cried since Bianca died, he wasn't about to start sobbing over a couple of bruises, rainwater and bumping in to somebody on the way to class. "I'm fine." He repeated, not making eye contact, his voice sounding somewhat strangled.

"Okay dude. I'm still really sorry!"

Nico managed a half-hearted smile in an attempt to get this dude to stop apologising, "Hi Really sorry. My names Nico Di Angelo." Hell no, he wasn't-no he wasn't flirting! Nick mentally scowled a himself, how scrambled is his head that he's flirting with some stranger who shoved his binder in his ribcage.

The boy with the green-eyes laughed "Nice to meet you Nico. My friends sometimes call me Percy Jackson. What form are you in?" He asked casually. As if they were old friends.

"39C."

Percy's green eyes widened comically, "That's my form! How come I haven't seen you 'round?"

Nico shrugged as he turned on his heel and began the traipse towards his locker, "Maybe you haven't been looking."

**A/N is it worth reading more?**


	2. Chapter 2

Detached

Chapter two

Percy felt like a complete bastard, being in the same form as this guy and yet not even knowing he existed. He was funny, this Di Angelo boy. And a little cute. He'd been flirting with him, hadn't he?

Percy hoped so. Nico's dark, stormy ink-blue eyes had captivated him. Even when they seemed to be silently pushing him to let the whole ordeal go.

They'd arrived at the classroom door at the same time and Percy had stepped back to let the taller big go first. He'd received a short-lived look of gratitude for it before he'd walked in. Nico had immediately been told off for being tardy and the taller boy stood with red cheeks as he was handed a detention slip until he was able to slip to his seat in the middle of the room.

The teacher had spotted Percy then, and Miss Nymph's face broke out in a girlish smile. "Percy! Come in, don't linger at the door. Sit down silly boy." And he'd been pushed towards his seat, he passed Nico Di Angelo's seat and had noticed the barely contained outrage on his pale face. His hands clutching the detention slip such desperation that his knuckles turned white.

Percy felt horrible as he sunk into the seat beside Grover.

(Pagebreak)

"How was school, Sweetie?" His mother asked as they sat opposite each other at the small, circular kitchen table. Sally Jackson was not stupid, she could obviously tell something was wrong with her boy as he sat in his wooden seat and pushed his spaghetti half-heartedly around his plate

"Hmm? Oh, yeah fine." Percy mumbled, his mind trapped on the boy with the dark eyes that had managed to hypnotise him in this small length of time. He could imagine him, just beside him. Doing anything. Sipping tea. Reading a book. Kissing him- okay. He probably wouldn't mind if they'd kissed. Percy barely knew the hot-head boy but he knew he was physically attracted to the gangly boy with the hair shaved to his ears.

If Percy was honest, it made him look like an adorable badass.

"Something on your mind, hun?" Sally Jackson's smile turned mischievous, "Somebody on your mind?"

Percy's smile returned, although somewhat embarrassed. He scratched his neck and complained "Mo-om." He groaned good-naturedly.

Mrs .Blofis neé Jackson crooned in delight, clapping her hands together. "Oh I can read you like a book! Soooo, who's the lucky guy?" Percy's mom nudged him under the table with her foot. He'd come out during the summer to her and she'd been more than supportive.

Percy sighed, his cheeks flaming red but gave in, "I don't really know him. Which is kinda terrible because we've been in the same form for 6 years. He's not popular." Percy avoided his eyes from his mothers growing smile, "He's kind of a loner. But I bumped into him today and sent him flying. Which, believe me was really awkward because I think I genuinely hurt him but he wouldn't admit it. I kept apologising, and then he joked about me apologising."

Percy looked at his mothers wide smile, "Wha-at?" He whined, throwing his head in hands, "Am I a really horrible person for not making sure he was okay? Because, even if he wasn't completely adorable I wouldn't want to hurt him!"

"I'm so glad you've found somebody Percy! I was wishing you would." Percy's mother laughed. Ever since Paul and her marriage, Percy seemed even lonelier than before and it was nice to see him go pink-cheeked and starry-eyed because of some boy.

"Well, I haven't technically found him. More like, I injured his internal organs and he was too nice too admit it." Percy mumbled, though his mother really wasn't paying any attention any more.

"Is he attractive? Because I know love is blind and all that but-details son!" Sally Blofis laughed as her sons cheeks flamed again. But he dutifully mumbled;

"Yeah, he's blithering gorgeous but he's awkwardly so, Y'know that type? He has dark hair shaved right up to his ears and it's black and slightly wavy from there on out. He's really pale, but he has really dark blue eyes." He looked sheepishly at his mother, "But I wasn't looking at him much?"

She laughed.

(Pagebreak)

His father wasn't home when Nico got home, which meant the house was colder than usual because the bastard hadn't bothered to switch on the heat. At least he had electricity; this way he good make his fathers dinner, leave it in the oven for him to find and then quickly run for a shower and leave for work before his father came home. One of his wounds had started bleeding during fourth period and there was some dried blood that he was itching to wash away.

He threw a ready-made lasagne in the fridge and turned on the stove before running upstairs and grabbing an old t-shirt to dry himself with. He undresses and jumps into the shower and is immediately drenched with ice-cold water, shivering he gently sponges the blood from his wounds and washes his hair with the tiniest amount of soap possible so as not to raise suspicion that the bottle was slightly empty. Nico closed his eyes as the water trailed down his shoulder blades. He allowed himself a moment of relaxation before jumping into action.

He dried as quickly as he could, towelling his hair dry. Trailing himself to his bedroom he grabbed a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt and pulled them on, adding a grey sweater vest as an after-thought to hide the cigarette burn on the stomach of his shirt. Plus, he worked in a bookshop and he had a bet with his colleague about who could dress the most 'scholary' in Thalia's terms. He grabbed his glasses as an afterthought. He's saved up for them even though they didn't cost much. They were 'geek-chic' so the sales-woman and declared and that he needed to buy them because they completely suited him. Nico didn't mind, he got a discount because he flirted with the woman just a little bit.

He had to count himself lucky in the job department. Minos had enough money from his own job that he didn't ask Nico for his wages. So he saved them for school books, shoes when his old ones fell apart. Clothes when he desperately needed them. Speaking of needing clothes, Nico looked at his small pile of moth-eaten garments, he would use half of his next paycheck to buy some. Before anyone noticed the state of his clothes.

Tying on his most presentable converse, Nico ran downstairs and into the kitchen, pulling the lasagne from the oven and sticking it on a plate on the table. He grabbed a slice of bread for his own meal and bolted from the door.

Nico sighed as the wind flowed through his half-brushed hair. It had stopped rain fortunately and the air felt clean and fresh as he walked down the street. He was early enough for work so he could afford to take his time. The street he lived in was nothing short of horrible. Rubbish littered the ground. The buildings were covered in graffiti. One-legged pigeons were clawing about in empty pizza boxes. And-was that blood?

Nico rubbed a hand across his bruised eyes, regretting it once he felt the twinge in his ribs reappear. He picked up the pace, he couldn't wait to get out of here. He was old enough for college soon, he knew he wouldn't get anywhere academics wise, but he could try for a sports scholarship, or an arts one, he didn't mind art or music. He rounded the corner as the bookshop came into view and smiled.

This was the closest to home he was going to get.

(Pagebreak)

"Percy? I have to dive to the Grace's bookstore, wanna come with?" Sally peeked her head around his bedroom door to see her son staring blankly at his homework.

"Hmm? Escape homework?" Percy said with a smile, jerking out of his thoughts (about a certain blue-eyed boy) for a moment, "Sure, why not?" He stood and turning to his wardrobe grabbed a red jacket, pulling it on over his blue t-shirt.

Mrs. Blofis laughed slightly, "I really shouldn't encourage you, but come on anyway, I have to get Paul a beginners guide on 'how to work a smartphone' and to be honest, I haven't a notion what a smartphone is." Percy shook his head at his mother, grinning childishly.

"Let's go then?" Percy offered, grabbing his keys from his desk, "I'll drive."

(Pagebreak)

Percy loved Grace's bookshop. It was old and quaint, it couldn't really be called a bookshop, more like a library where you could read the books. Although Percy couldn't read too great, the atmosphere was what he loved most. It wasn't big, but it was clean and spacious. The cashier's desk was close to the front door, his mother went straight to it as he disappeared to the fantasy novels section.

He had to admit, these were the only things that could even begin to get him to read. He loved all of them,The Hunger games trilogy, the Harry Potter series, all of John Connelly's books. Anything with a bit of violence would get him to read. Although, if he was being truly honest, he adored the love stories within them. Peeta and Katniss's. Harry and Ginny's. Sirius and Remus's. Finnick and Annie's.

He was a sucker for a happy ending.

"So, my husband got one of these smart thingys and he hasn't a notion how to even turn it on. My son's no use, because he's not a tech-y person so I was looking for a guide...would you sell any of them?" He could hear his mothers voice from the aisle opposite, she had obviously trailed the poor sod working at the desk down to help her.

"I'm sorry, I really wouldn't know. But I'll get Nico down for you. He knows where everything is in here." The woman's voice was light and humorous. Nico? Not...not his Nico. Right?

"Would he mind? I wouldn't want to impose..." His mother was a good person, she wouldn't want to take advantage of anyone. Even if it was their job. Percy shook his head, laughing silently. She was a character alright.

"Of course he wouldn't mind! He works here, it's what he's paid to do!" The feminine voice laughed and Percy felt like laughing too.

As the girl walked away, Percy came to stand beside his mother, she looked at him and pulled a face, "Fine then, Percy, just disappear when I brought you along for a specific reason! Hmmph! I had to disturb two people from their work because you left!" Percy's mother pouted and he knew she wasn't genuinely angry with him.

"Trust me ma'am, I don't mind. Anything to get out of stacking shelves." The boy had appeared beside his mother almost silently, as if he stepped out of the shadows. His jet-black hair and towering frame was familiar. But Percy couldn't place him until he seen the blue-eyes behind the glasses.

"Nico!" He said delightedly, his whole face lighting up somewhat embarrassedly. He felt somewhat underdressed in his jeans and t-shirt. Like he maybe should dressed up a bit more for this unexpected meeting.

Nico slid his gaze from the middle-aged woman who seemed to be surveying him to the blushing teen, "Percy? It's nice to see you again." Nico said politely, was this guy stalking him.

"So you're the boy my son shoved to the floor." Sally Blofis laughed evilly when she seen both teen's face's heat up. Nico Di Angelo...she had to admit, he looked a bit awkward. He was holding his stomach as if he was in pain, Sally hoped he wasn't. He seemed a polite enough boy and if Percy liked him well enough.

"No-no, Ma'am. It wasn't like that at all. It was my fault. I hadn't been looking where I was I going and I bumped into Percy." Nico hurried to assure her, "But, back to the original topic at hand, would you like to see our selection of guides? I'm sure we could find one to fit your needs?"

Sally laughed again and her eyes twinkled, she looped her arm through Nico's offered one, (Did Percy see a grimace? Was he imagining things?) "I'm sure we could."

(Pagebreak)

Thalia pulled a pencil from her bun and straightened her pin-striped blouse (she'd won the bet today) , "Okay Neeks, time to lock up. But then we're going upstairs and you're going to stay over and tell me everything!" She demanded bossily, pulling the large store keys from the drawer in the desk.

Confused Nico asked, "Everything? Like what?" He could afford to stay out tonight, Minos was having friends around, he wouldn't be missed. And plus, the Grace's loved him. He'd been working here a year and he'd managed to charm them all.

Thalia crossed her arms and fixed her piercing, electric-blue gaze on him, "Like the hot guy who almost wet himself when he saw you." Her eyes were humorous, Nico had found her clutching her stomach laughing silently, with tears of mirth running down her face. When she'd sobered up and when the Jackson/Blofis had left, she told him she was laughing at how much the hot guy had seemed like a puppy eager for his attention. E

Nico swallowed heavily as he locked the cash register, "You wanna talk about Percy?" He wondered of Thalia's brother would be there. Jason. Those two were literally his only friends. It's a pity they went to different schools.

"Damn right I wanna talk about Percy."


End file.
